Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Barren River Lake is a reservoir located in Kentucky. It covers roughly 10,100 surface acres (about 16 square miles). The deepest point reaches about 90 feet, and the surface sits near 552 feet above sea level. Fish documented in the area include Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Rainbow Trout. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Other waters in the region include Nolin River Lake and Dale Hollow Reservoir. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. This page combines the live forecast, wind, and conditions for Barren River Lake so you can plan a visit.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 3:05 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Wind 6 mph from the east. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 55° | 54° | 54° | 53° | 53° | 58° | 66° | 74° | 78° | 82° | 84° | 84° | 86° | 84° | 83° | 80° | 74° | 71° | 69° | 67° | 66° | 65° | 64° | 64° |
| Wind (kts) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Direction | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Gusts (kts) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 3 AM CDT | 55°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 4 AM CDT | 54°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 14% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 5 AM CDT | 54°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 14% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM CDT | 53°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 11% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM CDT | 53°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 5 mph | 0% | 19% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM CDT | 58°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 0% | 17% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM CDT | 66°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 19% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM CDT | 74°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 9 mph | 0% | 33% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 78°F | 6 mph E (90°) | 12 mph | 0% | 46% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 82°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 0% | 64% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 84°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 0% | 68% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 84°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 0% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 86°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 0% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 84°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 13 mph | 0% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 83°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 12 mph | 0% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 80°F | 6 mph E (90°) | 10 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 74°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 10 mph | 0% | 78% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 71°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 10 mph | 0% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 69°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 9 mph | 0% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 67°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 9 mph | 0% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 66°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 8 mph | 0% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 65°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 64°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 0% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 64°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 0% | 94% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 63°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 0% | 97% | Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 52° | 86° | 61° | 72° | 60° | 73° | 57° | 83° | 60° | 87° | 59° | 83° | 59° | 84° |
| Wind | E 1 mph | E 1 to 7 mph | E 2 to 6 mph | E 6 to 17 mph | E 5 to 16 mph | SW 5 to 8 mph | W 1 to 7 mph | W 1 to 5 mph | SW 3 mph | SW 3 to 8 mph | SW 2 to 6 mph | S 2 to 6 mph | S 5 mph | S 2 to 8 mph |
| Gusts | 4 mph | 13 mph | 10 mph | 33 mph | 29 mph | 17 mph | 15 mph | 9 mph | 6 mph | 13 mph | 9 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 14 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 2% | 88% | 91% | 79% | 26% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 11% |
| Forecast |
Nearby river temperature: 76.5°F at BARREN RIVER NEAR FINNEY, KY (0.6 mi away) · Oct 9, 7:00 AM UTC
Excellent for fishing (91/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 76°F from a representative gauge 0.6 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 0 mph from the south. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (81%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (100/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south. Gusts to 2 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (63/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 2 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (99/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the south. Gusts to 2 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
No verified water temperature source exists for this lake, so a swimming comfort score is not shown.
Loading interactive map…
Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of KY Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
With its sweeping shoreline and open waters, Barren River Lake in KY is a favorite getaway for anglers, watersports fans, and campers. The lake provides access via several public ramps, offering easy entry for trailered boats and kayaks. Follow state boating education standards and carry required safety equipment onboard.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Barren River Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 3:05 AM CDT